Jakarta. Russian President Vladimir Putin has wished Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto a happy new year, according to the Kremlin, as the two countries wrapped up 2025 with stronger economic links.

Putin had sent New Year greetings to dozens of world leaders. Aside from Prabowo, leaders of the BRICS bloc — including China’s Xi Jinping and Brazil’s Lula da Silva — received Putin’s message. The same goes for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Vladimir Putin extended his greetings on Christmas and the upcoming New Year 2026 to heads of foreign states and governments,” the Kremlin wrote on its official website on Tuesday.

Putin has barely left his country, as an international arrest warrant for war crimes hangs over him. Throughout 2025, Prabowo — a frequent traveler — had visited Russia twice. On both trips, Putin pitched a possible nuclear power deal to help the coal-reliant Indonesia slash its emissions.

“We have very good prospects in the field of energy, including nuclear generation. I know that Indonesia has such plans,” Putin said when he hosted Prabowo at the Kremlin earlier this month.

Putin even accepted Prabowo’s invitation to come to Jakarta in either 2026 or 2027.

2025 saw Prabowo getting closer to Russia via economic blocs such as BRICS. Jakarta officially became a BRICS member in January. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariff hikes on this group if they set up a rival currency to the dollar.

Indonesia also recently inked a free trade agreement with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). While the document is still subject to lawmakers’ approval, Jakarta's EAEU-bound exports, including palm oil, will enjoy tariff cuts. Putin had admitted to having looked forward to the pact, even describing Indonesia as “one of the largest and most dynamic economies in both Asia and globally”.

Trade Ministry data showed Indonesia’s exports to Russia neared $1.6 billion in the first 10 months of 2025. Bilateral trade amounted to approximately $4 billion over the said period, with imports of Russian goods totaling almost $2.5 billion.

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